American Rule

• Military government (August 14, 1898 – July 4, 1901)

  • This government was run by military generals appointed by the American president.
  • There were three military governors: Gen. Wesley Merritt; Gen. Elwell Otis; and Gen. Arthur McArthur
• Civil government (July 4, 1901-August 1902)

  • This government was run by American civilian officials appointed by the American president. But later it was run by Filipino officials elected by Filipinos
• Civilian Governments:

  • The Philippine Commission
  • American Governor-General
  • Commonwealth of the Philippines
• Manifest Destiny - Phrase
• Benevolent Assimilation Proclamation issued on Dec. 21, 1898 – the US shall exercise sovereignty over the entire archipelago
• Aguinaldo issued a counter-proclamation on January 5, 1899
• January 20, 1899 – Pres. McKinley appointed the First Philippine Commission to make recommendations in the administration of the country; this commission was headed by Dr. Jacob Schurman
• February 4, 1899 – Private Willie Grayson shot and killed a Filipino soldier. This event triggered the Philippine-American War (1899-1906)
• Bates Treaty – signed by John Bates and Sultan Jamalul Kiram II of Sulu on August 20, 1899. The Muslims remained neutral in the war.
• February 5, 1899 – the American fleet bombarded the Filipinos fort north of San Juan del Monte killing Major. Jose Torres Bugallion.
• February 22, 1899 – Antonio Luna burned American occupied houses in Tondo and Binondo
• Gen. MacArthur and his troops arrived from the US; they aimed to capture Malolos
• March 31, 1898 – Malolos was captured
• March 6 , 1898 - Apolinario Mabini met with the Schurman Commission to request for a cease-fire but he was refused. Mabini resigned in the Aguinaldo cabinet and was replaced by Pedro A. Paterno as the head of the new cabinet
• Antonio Luna met a tragic death
• “Peace Cabinet” headed by Felipe Buencamino negotiated peace with the Americans.
• October 12, 1898 – a full-scale offensive was launched to capture Pres. Aguinaldo
• Gregorio del Pilar defended Tirad Pass
• Januario Galut guided the Americans in Tirad pass which lead to the death of del Pilar
• The whereabouts of Aguinaldo was discovered; Gen. Funston employed the Macabebe scouts to capture Aguinaldo
• April 9, 1898 – Aguinaldo took the oath of allegiance to the United States
• Pacificados (Pacifists) led by Pedro Paterno and Felipe Buencamino which later became Partido Federal headed by Trinidad Pardo de Tavera wanted to make the Philippines a part of the US.
• July 4, 1898 – Pres. Theodore Roosevelt declared that the Philippine-American War was over
• Government Under America

  
• March 16, 1899 – Pres. McKinley appointed the Taft Commission and gave it legislative and executive power to put up a civilian government
• July 4, 1901 – Judge William Howard Taft became the first civil governor
• His policy “Philippines for Filipinos” laid the foundation of a democratic government
• Taft's Achievements

  • The sale of huge tracts of friar lands to Filipinos on installment terms
  • Cooper Act/Philippine Organic Act of 1902 – extends the US Bill of Rights to Filipinos
  • First official census was held on March 2, 1899.
• Other political parties

  • These parties were organized to counteract the pro-American activities of the Partido Federal
  • Partido Nacionalista ,Partido Independencia, Partido Democrata
  • Partido Conservador
• Other political parties

  • Gen. Vicente Lukban ambushed American soldiers in Balangiga, Samar
  • Gen. Jacob Smith ordered the massacre of all men and children about ten years of age
  • General Miguel Malvar continued to fight for Philippine independence
  • He surrendered to the Americans on April 16, 1902
• Anti-nationalist laws

  • Sedition Law
  • Brigandage Act
  • Reconcentration Act
  • Flag Law
• • Sedition Law - imposed death penalty or long prison term to those who advocated separation form the US even through peaceful means (1901)
• Brigandage Act – punished with death or with a prison term of not less than 20 years for members of an armed band
• Reconcentration Act – this gave the governor general the power to authorize any provincial governor to reconcentrate in the towns all residents outlying barrios if outlaws operated in these areas.
• Flag Law – prohibited the display of Philippine flag and other symbols used b the resistance against the US
• How the Filipinos carried on their fight for freedom

  • Theater and literature
  • Peasant revolts and the Communist Party of the Philippines
  • Peaceful pressure by the Filipino politicians ending in the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
• Plays and drama’s advocating independence were labeled “seditious plays”
• Filipinos employed a variety of subterfuges: allegorical verses, talinhaga, double-meanings, etc.
• Juan Abad’s “Tanikalang Ginto” first produced on July 7, 1902 and banned on May 10, 1903 after performance in Batangas and was fined $2,000.
• The play revolves around Liwanag (“light,” “the new Pilipinas after departure of Spain), who is promised to the hero Kulayaw (“loyal,” the Filipino freedom fighters, also the penname of Abad)